Arcadia Gays: Roses and Violets
by PriestessAmy
Summary: The follow-up sequel to Arcadia Gays. If you haven't read that yet, you'll want to start there. Max, Chloe, Kate, and Victoria move from Arcadia Bay to Portland, sharing an apartment and sharing the love. No over-arcing story to speak of yet, just piles of fluff and adorableness.
1. Not Ready, Shaka Brah

A knock at Chloe's bedroom door raised her from her current project with a quizzical look. Max and Victoria were out being huge photo nerds, and she sort of assumed things would be quiet for the night. Kate was the only possible culprit, but what could she want? Even on a weekend evening, she tended to be shut up in her room hard at work on something.

Chloe was... unprepared.

Unprepared for the sight of Kate on the other side of the door as she opened it. Unprepared to see the undercut and pink dye job she must have just had done a few hours before. Unprepared for the sight of Kate Marsh in a torn up Misfits shirt, pleated skirt, fishnets, and boots. Unprepared for the outstretched hand holding two tickets to a Portland club where one of Chloe's favorite bands was performing. She didn't know whether to laugh, cry, squeal, hug the other girl, or get her some major therapy for what she apparently put herself through.

"I-I wanted to treat you for... well, I mean it was no real reason whatsoever except it's just us and we never really do anything just the two of us, but the kinda stuff you do isn't the kinda stuff I do, still I figured if I got into the spirit of it that would probably be pretty fun so I got some friends from school to help and anyway the show is in a few hours so if you wanna get changed or anything you should probably do that soon..."

Finally Chloe stopped holding back her reaction, laughing brightly as she wrapped Kate in her arms and squeezed her tight. "You are such a little nerd and I love you! C'mon, it shouldn't take too long if you wanna hang out while I get ready..." It was always a little bit of a gamble when it came to inviting Kate into your room, especially if you were in the process of undressing or whatever. But they were girlfriends too, and had been dating long enough that Kate's nerves were much more in check than they used to be.

The funny thing was that over the summer Chloe had finally let her own hair lose its color and grow out just a touch, enough that she could now pull it back into a ponytail when she was at work. And since she hadn't been expecting to hit the town, her current outfit was a pair of men's pajama pants and a wife beater. As it was, Kate looked far more punk than she herself did. There wasn't time to dye her hair again, but she had more than enough clothes in her closet to out-do the other girl.

It didn't take her long to slip into something less comfortable, though the process wasn't without its hangups. Leather pants were not easy to get into, no matter how much determination you had, and Kate ended up having to offer a helping hand. The top, by comparison, was bright and flashy in every color of the rainbow and sat loosely on her torso. With a pair of black and white chucks on her feet, Chloe was ready to head out.

The girls linked hands and left their apartment in Chloe's truck as she fumbled to put on a CD by the band they were going to see. "Shiny New Heroes! I seriously cannot believe you got those tickets. I thought the show was sold out."

Kate laughed nervously and scratched at the newly shaved spot on her head with a little shrug. "It is. But the same friends who helped me get ready are the ones who sold me the tickets. They couldn't make it tonight or their plans changed or something. They couldn't believe it when I told them I'd buy the tickets."

Chloe flashed an appreciative smile at Kate as she turned toward the downtown area. "You can tell me to shut up if I'm being too pushy, but... Seriously, you know you didn't have to go all-out like this. What's the deal?"

There was a bit of all-too familiar fumbling in the passenger seat. "It's like I said, I guess. I don't spend nearly as much time with you as I do the others. And I want to! But I just... I-I don't know..."

"Is this a guilt thing, Katie?"

"No! I mean, well yeah a little, but I do honestly want to spend more time with you. I suppose it's just that I think I'm not cool enough?" Though phrased like a question, this was something that had clearly been going through Kate's mind a lot lately. Unlike herself, Kate spoke only when she felt it was absolutely necessary. And there had never really been an explosion point where Chloe suddenly decided Kate wasn't her girlfriend anymore. Hell, the act of bringing this up – not to mention the tickets and the hair and the clothes – must have taken a great deal of Kate's energy. And Chloe respected a girl with the balls to go against her own instincts.

"Yeah, well I'm not sweet enough, but we're still dating. Who knows, maybe after tonight you'll discover your inner thrasher and we can do this all the time?" She chuckled and glanced over at Kate again, who seemed to be cheering up more. "Okay, so probably not. But seriously, there are things I love about you, Kate, shit that Max and Victoria just don't have. For one thing, you know how to chill and shut up – like, in a good way. The fact that the two of us could sit in the same room for three hours and only say a handful of words to one another? That, like, means a ton."

In spite of everything she'd just said, Chloe did have to admit that this heart-to-heart felt pretty good too. And she was dying to see Kate out of her element.

Both girls were excited by the time they reached the club and managed to find a parking space. While _The Wreck_ did host a wide variety of acts, tonight the crowd was pretty clearly all from one particular segment of the population. Normally Kate would have looked out of place here, but for once she actually seemed to be part of the crowd, and Chloe was honestly feeling mad proud. They held hands and the pink-haired wonder hung on her arm and chatted amiably with her and giggled brightly at all her stupid little jokes. It took a while for the line to lead into the club, but finally they were crammed into the crowd and cheering as Shiny New Heroes took to the stage.

It was an amazing evening, each song more ear-bleedingly delicious than the last, and while going deaf wasn't her thing, Kate was having fun dancing with her regardless. The first part of the set was amazing.

And then...

And then, some asshat mistook their playful dancing for the formation of a new mosh pit and carelessly decked Kate in the face with his arm, sending her careening into Chloe's arms with a bloody nose. Thankfully, there were a handful of punks around him who didn't take kindly to seeing young girls being hurt and led him outside for a lesson in gentleness. Meanwhile, Chloe guided Kate to tip her head back and was walking her out the front door and back toward her truck.

Away from the crowd, she unthinkingly whipped off her shirt and pressed it to Kate's face to help catch some of the blood. "Heh, I-I think that's probably enough excitement for one night..." Chloe helped Kate into the truck, then started driving back toward their apartment. Unlike what she'd said earlier, this quiet lack of conversation did not feel good. Kate had done something so sweet and amazing for her and she completely fucked it up. Chloe should have protected her, kept her farther away from the crowd, been more attentive. Instead, she was way too focused on having a good time. _Idiot! She's never gonna let me live this down... And Max and Tori are gonna kill me!_

Chloe was speeding a little to get back home, wanting to get Kate somewhere safe so she could get a better look at her. But surprisingly, with a rather cold tone, Kate just walked in the front door and headed for her room. "It's just a nosebleed, Chloe, I've got it..." Before she could do anything, the door was shut, in both the literal and metaphorical sense. In a fog, knowing just how bad she'd screwed up, Chloe went to her room to change back into her pajamas from earlier. Instead of going back to work on her latest piece, she found herself turning toward her small stash of weed and putting a joint together. She needed to unwind a little.

It was actually pretty peaceful out on the balcony. The neighborhood was quiet, the weather was beautiful, and the weed was pretty damn good. It helped, but only just so. She still couldn't get over the fact that she had screwed things up so royally. This wasn't the first time the subject of her and Kate had come up, and now that she had a chance to keep the romance between them, she threw it all in the garbage instead.

The sound of the door from behind her caused Chloe to jump a little. Kate, having since changed into her own pajamas, leaned up against the balcony next to her. It looked as though she had her sad face on. That was not a good sign. _Okay, be cool, Chloe. At least she's not mad, right? Who am I kidding, this is way worse! Just woman up and apologize. No big deal. She's understanding._

"I'm sorry."

"I'm s- wait what the fuck?" Kate still wasn't fond of 'language' but Chloe couldn't help herself. "You're... But you... didn't?" Chloe also wasn't terribly eloquent yet.

"I wasn't careful and I went and got myself hit in the face. There was supposed to be like... another hour of music! So instead of enjoying ourselves and dacning more, we had to come back home. I ruined everything... including your shirt..."

Chloe couldn't believe it. Actually, no, she could totally believe it. Poor, sweet, innocent Kate. It would be one thing if this girl was playing the martyr to try and get sympathy, but Chloe recognized mental health trouble better than family members. Kate honestly thought that she had somehow ruined tonight just by being in the wrong place at the wrong time. And in hearing her girlfriend apologize when she didn't need to, Chloe now wondered if she was about to apologize for nothing as well.

"You didn't do anything wrong, Katie. Hell, you did everything right. You're so sweet and thoughtful, and I cannot tell you how _into you_ I am with that new hairstyle. I know you're worried that you're not good enough for me, and nothing could be further from the truth. Because I feel exactly the same way..." Chloe leaned over and kissed her cheek, noting by now just how red from embarrassment Kate was.

After a few failed attempts to say anything, Kate raised the bar for surprises that evening by motioning to the remainder of the joint in Chloe's hand. "Can I... get a bit of that?" A momentary flashback from a year before hit Chloe as she passed the joint to her with a smirk. "I'm thinking and feeling too much. It'd be nice to stop..."

"Yeah... Yeah, I feel you. You can't really turn it off, but sometimes it's nice to use a shortcut. Although, please never be as bad as me." There was a bit of coughing and hacking before she took the weed back from her.

Kate grinned and nudged into her shoulder. "I'm pretty sure it's impossible for me to ever be as bad as you." Having finally gotten her lungs back under control, Kate turned her head to the side and kissed lightly at Chloe's sleeve tattoo. "I love you, Chloe..."

"I love you too, Kate. I really... really do." The two were practically beaming. After some hesitation, Chloe opted to roll another joint in honor of this very special occasion. Just as she flicked the lighter, she heard the sound of the front door and Max calling their names. "Out here, babe!"

"Oh my god, what are you doing?" Victoria asked as though she were a woman in her sixties clutching her pearls. She had a tendency to be overly protective of her primary. "And what happened to your hair...?"

Kate took a quick draw from the joint and giggled softly. "Sin. Now get over here and join us."


	2. Happy Birthday Angel

Kate whimpered as she stumbled through the front door of her apartment. The downside to being in such different classes from her girlfriends meant that she basically only ever saw them when she was actually home. On Fridays her classes ran rather late, and it was almost six by the time she got back. It was oddly quiet. Usually Chloe and Max were watching some garbage on Netflix and Victoria was waiting to tackle her when she got back. But nothing tonight.

There was a faint light from the kitchen and she wandered in to check on it. And standing there was her three roommates/girlfriends around an impressive homemade cake with a burning "19" candle planted firmly in the center.

She gave a gasp and set her bag on one of the chairs before rushing over to hug them all as tight as possible. "You guys! Oh my goodness, this is so sweet..." She could feel herself immediately starting to tear up, and Max dutifully wiped her cheek with a thumb while Victoria and Chloe just cooed in adoration.

"C'mon, loser, blow out the candle so we can get some cake!" Everyone glared at Chloe, even if she was speaking from a place of the utmost love. Only Kate giggled in understanding. She closed her eyes, paused for a moment. _I don't have a single wish. I just hope we never lose touch with one another..._ Kate blew out the candle and stood back up straight, blinking as Max flicked the lights back on.

With a large knife, Chloe eagerly sliced into the cake and served everyone a piece, after which a pile of presents were dumped onto the table next to Kate. As she ate, she dug into them one by one. "Okay, um, first from... Max" she said as she grabbed up an inexpertly wrapped pile of things, lumpy but lovingly delivered. She tore away the paper revealing a handful of ancient books worn with care. "Oh my gosh, Max~ The Quran, the Mahabharata, a collection of buddhavacana... And a tea to go with each one... Ohhhhh" She set them aside carefully, noting that Max had clearly found older editions, and was sure they deserved gentle handling.

"Mine next, mine next!" Chloe cried excitedly, practically shoving her gift in Kate's face. It was, of course, unwrapped, and Kate expected nothing less. In her hands she held a framed piece of artwork that Kate instantly recognized as Chloe's own personal handiwork.

"Y-You made this for me?" Kate flipped it around so Max and Victoria could see it. On the page inside the frame was a colorful stylized lamp.

The other two looked confused. "Katie darling, do you have a thing with genies that I don't know about?" Kate giggled brightly and allowed herself a secret little smile with Chloe.

Who would have thought that, out of everyone, **she** would be the one who went to church with her the most? Before she even had the chance to explain, Chloe cut in. "It's the symbol for the Unitarian Universalist church, that place I dragged Kate to back in Arcadia Bay. The lamp is the color of the asexual pride flag, and the little flame is a gay as fuck rainbow. I wanted her to have a positive reminder of the first time we really got along by ourselves." She grinned and nudged Kate. "Added bonus, you say the word and I will tattoo that on you, totally free..."

For the first time in her life, Kate was actually contemplating getting a tattoo. Leave it to Chloe to show her the way.

Last, and most certainly not least was Victoria. She seemed almost embarrassed, and Kate wondered if she would have to run interference and help her remember that just an hour ago she wasn't even expecting presents in the first place. "Well, the cake was mine, and then..." Victoria coughed, and now Kate was feeling even more confused, watching the blonde start to blush furiously. "...then the other part of it is in my bedroom..." Victoria almost immediately dragged Kate off to her room to the sound of Chloe and Max hooting and hollering.

…...

Victoria slammed her bedroom door shut and leaned against the worn wood, huffing indignantly in Max and Chloe's general direction. Her face was so red, and for Kate it was always kind of a treat to see. Victoria was normally so calm, cool, collected. She was brave and fearless. But this private special gift must have been pretty good for her to look this bashful. "I could kill them, if I didn't love them so much..."

The blonde went to her closet and pulled out a perfectly wrapped box, with white paper and golden ribbons. She passed it to Kate, who noted that her hands were trembling ever so slightly. She took the package from her, trying to lift the weight from her soul. "Whatever it is, I'm sure it will be beyond perfect. Any present that could get Ms. Chase so flustered is bound to be good!"

Kate sat down on the edge of the bed, and almost felt bad about ruining such a perfectly crafted package. But she finally did it and pulled away the lid. She seemed confused until she pulled out the largest piece of the set within. It was circular, leather, brilliantly white, with bits of lace all over. And in golden letters, it simply said the word "ANGEL". It was a collar. Kate swallowed and looked at Victoria, now blushing more than her girlfriend.

"I-It's beautiful..." She set it aside and looked back through the rest. A matching set of cuffs for her ankles and wrists, all the same beautiful shade of white, with even more lace.

They really didn't need to say much more. Kate was pulled to her feet, and with practiced, gentle hands she was stripped of her clothing. Victoria placed the collar around her neck first, securing it at a comfortable notch, then repeating the process with each cuff. She seemed to be primping her just a little as well, messing with her hair slightly, ensuring that the lace on the accessories was looking good, and Kate idly wondered why so much work was going into her appearance. Would there be pictures, or...?

There was a sound of the door opening behind them and Kate gasped, quickly covering herself with her hands. She heard Chloe curse and the door began to close again. "Sorry! Sorry, I thought... Are we early...?"

Victoria groaned, apparently upset that her grand plan was being ruined. "We had a signal Chloe! Just... one second, okay? I will open the door when we're good to go..." Kate was rapidly pulled into a tight hug as Victoria pet her hair. "I am so sorry, baby, I-I wanted to make sure you would be okay with Max and Chloe jumping in. But _someone_ ruined the last surprise..."

Kate just shrugged, giggled, and pecked her on the cheek. "I can see how it might have been a little better if Chloe hadn't barged in like that, but... Yeah, I-I think it could be fun." Victoria breathed a sigh of relief and kissed her forehead.

"I think you're going to enjoy it. Max's outfit is to die for..." Kate didn't have long to wonder as Victoria traipsed over to the door and threw it open, revealing Chloe in some rather casual underwear. No doubt, unlike themselves, the bluenette didn't have much interest in all the pomp and circumstance. But Max... Oh, wow, Max...

She wore a collar and cuff set somewhat like her own, but the leather was a more natural color and was lined with brown fur rather than lace. The most notable thing, however, was the name "FAWN" in black lettering on her collar. There was a pair of ears nestled in her hair, and she seemed to have a small fluffy tail, though Kate couldn't quite tell how it... oh...

For all that Kate was normally the most bashful of the group, at the moment Max was doing it far better. Her head was down, her hands clasped together in front of her. There was something a little animal about her, but not so much primal as domesticated and innocent. It was oddly appropriate. Kate would not have pegged her other girlfriends for being into the whole pet thing, but in the moment she saw the appeal.

Victoria led Kate, and Chloe led Max, the four of them climbing onto the bed. Chloe gave her deer a gentle slap on the ass with a smirk. "Go on, Fawn... Play with Angel for a bit" Play? Well, Kate didn't have too long to ponder exactly what that meant as Max was on top of her, kissing and fondling her with energy and excitement. She was vaguely aware of the fact that meanwhile Chloe was sitting there against the headboard watching them. It was so beyond strange, and yet also incredibly enticing. But where had Victoria gone?

She had her answer a moment later, as she was pulled from "playtime" and soft white rope was run through the rings on her cuffs and collar and around her body. Things were on hold for a moment, paused as Victoria practiced her art. She treated ropework the same way she did photography, with the same eye for lighting and color, and the same terrifying patience and sense of detail. By the time she was finished, Kate was effectively immobilized, able only to wriggle and await whatever came next.

A blindfold was secured over her eyes, and as the last bits of light faded from her view, she felt a loving kiss pressed to her cheek, and Victoria's voice was in her ear, breath hot on her neck. "You know the rules, Angel. It's Queen, Miss Chloe, and Fawn, and 'strawberry' if you get overwhelmed. Otherwise, get ready for your final present. This one's... from all of us."


	3. Self-Defenestration

Even living in a safe neighborhood and all, four girls living by themselves in a city felt a bit like a recipe for trouble. Max declared their home to be a gun-free zone, and not even Chloe was going to disobey her, not anymore, not when it came to that. But it was also agreed that they needed some way to protect themselves, at least in an emergency situation. So Kate found a wonderful Tai Chi class that doubled as a meditative practice she needed for her religion course, Max turned out to be pretty skilled at tossing people around like ragdolls in aikido, and Chloe joined Victoria each week at the university gym for a general self-defense course.

While the smaller girls liked their classes well enough, the other two seemed to take great joy in the chance to unwind. For Chloe, it was a newfound outlet for all that energy and rage that used to be otherwise directionless. For Victoria, it was an alternative to feeling like a twig who only ever talked a big game but couldn't back it up. She knew full well her money couldn't save her from anything, and now she was finally learning some skills and gaining some muscle tone – a trait that went well-appreciated by everyone, it seemed.

As it turned out, there were other reasons they liked taking the class together, as they were discovering.

Chloe arrived in the room shortly after Victoria did since she had a bit of a trek from work. She was in the midst of doing her stretches and she could feel Chloe eyeing her up and down. She should have been furious, and perhaps the old Victoria would have been. But she did it with such a cocky swagger and devil-may-care smile that it was hard to be properly mad at her. And it served as a silent reminder that she was sexy as hell. It wasn't as if Victoria hadn't stolen her own glances now and then. They were both beautiful, they both knew it, why not own it?

More people filtered into the room and finally their instructor, a TA from the chemistry department, showed up and got things rolling. Chloe stood up and gently pulled her hair back as much as she could, and Victoria felt herself staring again. _Dammit, Chase, it's been like nine months and you're still this thirsty? How disgusting can you get._ "Alright everyone, we're going to be practicing some throws and take-downs today."

The two looked at one another and couldn't help the small smiles on their faces, nor the slight blushing. Most everyone else would be pretty gentle with their partners, but Chloe and Victoria had a pretty good idea of one another's pain thresholds due to... extensive research. Toppling into the grass, being thrown against each other's cars, wrestling in bed after a big fight – needless to say, they were prepared.

There was a period of general instruction as the woman up front showed with a volunteer how to get an opponent off-balance or distracted with some of their previously-learned techniques. Leg sweeps and palm strikes and good old-fashioned punches, that kind of thing. Eventually they broke off into their pairings so that everyone else could give it a try as their instructor milled about and commented on their form.

"Do me first, do me first!" Again Victoria's head whirled for just a moment, trying to keep in the present, where sexy-time was not allowed. "Come on~ My feet have been dragging since 2:00, I need a pick-me-up." She laughed nervously and moved in close with a practiced soft-strike, still trying to get a handle on the moves and the placement of all her limbs. "Oh my god, Vicky, stop pussy-footing around and drop me already, I need my adrenaline fix."

Ahh, there it was, the slight tinge of frustration and anger that came from Chloe pushing her luck. With a growl, Victoria attempted a proper leg sweep. Practically speaking, it worked just fine, in that it sent Chloe tumbling back to the mat with a soft gasp. Unfortunately, without properly planting her own stance, she found herself falling along with her, landing on top of her girlfriend, blushing even more than before. "Sh-Shit, sorry."

To put a little cherry on this moment, she saw the TA out of the corner of her eye with an impish grin of amusement. "Not bad, Victoria. But until you've got a better grasp of your center of gravity, you might want to stick to pushing them off balance by hand." Tori stood up awkwardly, pulling Chloe with her, trying and failing to look appreciative for the advice.

"You okay?" she asked, looking toward her partner.

Chloe, naturally, had a huge grin that said she probably missed all the subtext of this entire exchange. "I'm great! I wasn't expecting you to fall on top of me, but neither will _The Enemy_ , so I guess that works out." Finally, she seemed to note Victoria's slightly angled eyebrows. "Are... you okay? You didn't hurt anything?"

 _Just my pride._ "No, I'm fine." Victoria was scowling now, and she knew it was murder on her face, but she was mad at herself for screwing up and ruining what she perceived as a kind of intimate moment. Even if none of that was actually true, it was how she felt currently. "Again." She took her pose, waiting for Chloe to take hers, so she could resume practicing.

Her second attempt, somehow, actually managed to be worse than the first. In trying to trip Chloe up or knock her over, she managed to make herself fall while her girlfriend remained rock solid where she stood. She was back on her feet in an instant, huffing and breathing heavily, ready for round three. This one was arguably the worst of all as she opted to avoid using her legs altogether, focusing instead on pushing and shoving with her upper body. This got her nowhere fast, and a slight shift from Chloe was all it took to send Victoria backwards on her ass. For a moment or two she lay there on her back, staring up at the ceiling and pouting slightly as Chloe giggled at her misfortune. But she eventually seemed to become aware that this was not her usual childish pouting, but more like the clouds on the horizon warning of a giant storm.

"Fuck, I'm sorry Tori. Here..." Chloe offered her a hand and that damn, charming smile, and finally Victoria relented and took it. The arm wound around her shoulders and Chloe waved to the instructor. "Gonna catch some air real quick." Outside the small room there was a series of benches and platforms next to the gym's lobby where Victoria was directed to sit. "This seems like it's not about being able to perform a take-down maneuver."

Slowly, she allowed herself to lean in against Chloe. "I'm not strong." Of course a sentence that vague could really only be met with confusion, and she knew she'd have to offer something a little more substantial. "I mean, I'm not, y'know... _Strong_. Max is braver than anyone I know. You're so headstrong and sure. And Kate is fighting battles against herself that **I-** " She had to stop herself here, knowing she'd been more than forgiven for her past actions. "But I'm just a spoiled rich kid with no spine. I thought maybe getting all buff would do the trick, but it just doesn't feel like me."

"Aw, princess, nobody says you _have_ to be strong." It was a simple statement, but as always Chloe had a way of being a little bit too clever for her own good. "So you wouldn't win in a fight or a duel or whatever. Big deal. You'll always have us to look out for you. Besides, you're smart, wicked smart, scary smart. Sharp enough to cut a dude's throat. You're clever enough to avoid a fight before it begins!" Lips pressed against Victoria's cheek and she began to feel better. "You know what? You should be taking yoga. Get all limber so we can try some extra-cool stuff in bed."

Just as quickly Victoria was shoving Chloe and standing up from the little bench with a small smile. "Perv."

"You love it." Chloe was quick on the uptake and quicker on her feet, snatching Victoria's hand and pulling her toward the front door. "Come on, let's skip class. I have a new work-out regiment in mind, and it involves Ben & Jerry's and our couch."

* * *

As promised, the two headed back to the apartment in Chloe's truck and proceeded to sit down on the couch with ice cream, enjoying some silly show playing in the background. She could be persuasive when she really needed to be, and dedicated as hell, especially when it came to making someone stop being sad. So Chloe was alternating between bad puns, worse pick-up lines, and an unnecessary amount of flexing, showing off the few muscles she'd begun to develop. Victoria thought she might vomit all the ice cream if she kept laughing, and finally their relaxation calmed down.

Max and Kate walked through the front door with their usual chipper greetings. "We're gonna make some tea. You guys need anything?" Kate gave her girlfriends a knowing smile but otherwise left them alone. Victoria was adorably snuggled up to Chloe's arm, tracing her fingertip along the lines of her intricate sleeve tattoo.

"Nah, we're good, muffin. You and Maxine have fun." Victoria sighed pleasantly as Kate disappeared back into the kitchen with Max. "So you're, what, my tattooed knight, is that it? Coming to my rescue when I'm in peril? Fending off dragons and witches and all manner of spooky-scary creatures that want to destroy me?"

"Mmm, and princes too. You're not allowed to be used in some royal scheme to broker peace between nations. You're mine, I saw you first. Well, mine, and Max the bard's. And Kate the priestess'. But that's it!" There was more bright laughter, and any fears or worries Victoria had been feeling earlier that day were gone in a haze of terrible flirtation and delicious rocky road.

Victoria's fingertip made another loop around Chloe's tattoo as she purred with delight. "I know I've never really admitted it before, but... I fucking love your tattoos. It just adds to your whole hot rebel punk vibe thing, y'know?"

The girls on the couch were suddenly shocked out of their moment by the sound of a shattering mug in the kitchen, followed by a frightened cry from Kate. "Max!"


	4. After All This Time

_You're obviously not there, idiot. Why are you doing this to yourself? You're so useless and stupid._ While Kate was still busy freaking out, Chloe appeared like a flash. _Hair's not blue. See? So stupid, Max. Jeez._

"Chloe! Chloe, what's going on? Sh-She just dropped her mug all of a sudden..." _Kate. Poor precious Kate. She shouldn't have to see this. I'm her brave hero. How can I possibly face her after letting her see me like this? This weak._

"She's not exactly freaking out or anything, she's just standing there..." Victoria still tended to hide behind her sass when she was freaked out. _Old habits die hard, Tori, I get it._

"Guys! You're not really helping..." Chloe's steady hands guided her into the living room to take a seat on the couch. Max was vaguely aware of the sound of Victoria and Kate cleaning up after her mess. _Foolish. Useless. A waste._ Despite how obviously pathetic Max was, Chloe allowed her to curl up in her lap. "Hey... Max, why couldn't the young pirate see the movie?" Her girlfriend's fingers raked through her hair and she shut her eyes tight. _A dumb fucking joke. How the hell is this supposed to help me?_ Chloe asked again, more adamantly this time. "Come on, this is an easy one. Why couldn't she see the movie?"

"...it was rated arrrrr..." Max finally opened her eyes, wearily, and looked up at Chloe, who had this dumb grin on her face. She loved that grin.

"Your turn. Give me your best shot."

 _You have to do this. It's just a joke. Come on._ Max was vaguely aware of Victoria coming in to join them, slipping onto the couch and pulling her feet into her lap, rubbing them gently. "Why ummm... What did the pirate say? The one with the steering wheel... on his crotch?" She did not speak like someone who was providing the set-up for a joke.

Chloe, on the other hand, looked eager to answer. Her joy was so freaking contagious. "He said 'ahoy, it's drivin' me nuts!'" Even Max had a little smile at that, how excited she was for that line. She could tell that Victoria didn't really understand what was happening, but she could see the results, so she didn't bother asking.

Kate finally joined them last, having apparently cleaned up the remainder of the spilled tea. She took a pillow and settled onto the floor so that her own face was just a few inches from Max, offering her a gentle understanding smile, taking her hand and squeezing it. "Oh, I know one. Am I... allowed to do this?"

"Of course." Max actually had no idea how these things worked or what the rules were, but there was no way she would ever tell Kate no. It wasn't possible.

Kate, too, looked excited now, already grinning. "How much does a pirate pay for corn?" Max and Chloe looked at one another, both feeling confused as to where this could possibly be going. Victoria, however, suddenly jumped a little in her seat, squeezing Max's leg with a breathy grin.

"A buccaneer!" The two high-fived, much to Chloe and Max's amusement, who soon all joined together in bright laughter – even Max. For a while they all sat in joyful silence until finally Victoria asked the question on her and Kate's minds. "So... what's with the pirate jokes?"

Max attempted to sit up only to be pushed back down a resting position. Chloe was too protective to let her push herself like that. So she had to lay there as she spoke. "It's a um... PTSD thing... From last October." She spoke bashfully, knowing how impossible her story was, even if she did have Chloe there to back her up. "Sharing jokes from when we were silly little kids helps ground me."

"Max, maybe it's time... to really explain..." She was shocked to hear Chloe talking like that. Neither of them had really been eager to go telling their big secret to anyone, and even the few things they'd let slip to their girlfriends had been met with serious disbelief. Why would she opt for honesty now? As always, it was like Chloe could read her mind. "Look at these two. The only thing you're gonna do is make them worry, okay? It will make everyone's lives easier if we share this. We're not alone."

 _Dammit..._ Chloe's voice, her words, they were so powerful in that moment. Max sniffled and finally sat up, nestling in between Chloe and Victoria, pulling Kate up and into her lap. "Okay."

* * *

So Max told them. She told her entire story, from the beginning (if it could be called that). She told them every detail she could remember, no matter how trivial, amusing, upsetting, or silly. The vision, the tornado, Chloe being shot, and suddenly being back in class.

She talked about how she used her powers to her advantage, including with Victoria and Kate. If they were upset she couldn't tell by their faces just yet. She told them about the nosebleeds and Kate hugged her just a little tighter. She spoke with a blush about breaking into Blackwell and using the pool. All the secrets about Frank and Rachel came out, assuming that Nathan was her murderer. The End of the World. And then...

With slow, careful steps, Max spoke about the biggest reason for her fears, her nightmares, her terrors, the reason she still hated sleeping alone nearly a full year later. Kate was naturally the most understanding, but as she mentioned Victoria's cameo in that awful place, everyone turned even more horrified – in particular because Victoria couldn't remember this, and indeed, was still very much alive. But it was just as Chloe had said, something about Max's story, the way she told her narrative, left very little room for disbelief, even if it made no sense.

Finally she explained about the alternate realities, jumping back and forth across timelines just for Chloe. And all the while the storm loomed. "And when I finally found Chloe again, I thought maybe we were done." But then the worst of it all, the first nightmare of many. And against her instincts, Max talked through the entire thing. The horrible things everyone said and did. Kate, Mr. Jefferson, even Max herself. "That's why I freaked. In my nightmare, Victoria, you were flirting with Chloe, talking about her tattoos. I-I guess it just... put me back there... in the Dark Room." Her breath got short again and she shut her eyes tightly. Arms enfolded her and lips kissed her and saved her from going back once more.

"So. I came to and we're at the lighthouse. Warren had me convinced the storm was my fault. Chloe said it was bullshit. Until finally I had to choose... Go back in time once more and let her die, or watch our hometown get glassed." The best friends clung to each other more desperately. "It was this terrible binary decision and... I-I couldn't do it!"

"So I did something even stupider. I went back in time and... and I dragged Chloe with me. I didn't even know if it was possible, but I had to try. A-And it worked! I'm in the bathroom, and Chloe bursts in on Nathan and starts completely deviating from the script. Together we talked him down, told him the truth about Jefferson killing him, everything. He just broke, started sobbing." Max nestled in against Chloe more, idly toying with Kate's hair, admiring how normal her undercut was starting to look. "We vowed to be as careful as possible from then on. Nathan helped us uncover Jefferson. We never broke in to Blackwell. We told Frank about Rachel and he canceled her debt. We saved you, Kate. And I never rewound once. No snow, no eclipse, no double moon, no storm. I saved everyone and no one even knew."

Despite everything, Max felt lighter. Kate and Tori weren't calling her crazy or even looking at her with shock or fear. They were concerned, but that was to be expected. The story seemed to be over, and they punctuated their love and appreciation with a flurry of kisses that elicited a squeak of surprise. "Oh Max, I can't possibly imagine what that must have put you through. And to think I was upset just because-" Kate was cut off by a counter-kiss from Victoria.

"We all had our own things going on, baby, and comparing yourself to Max like that isn't helping anyone. You were hurting too. So was I. It was a tough time, and yeah Maxine, you deserve the goddamn key to the city for what happened to you." She interrupted herself by kissing her other girlfriends in turn. "Thank you for telling us. Even if it doesn't make a lick of sense, I am all about keeping you safe, even from yourself."

The sandy-haired hipster laughed nervously and settled herself into the pile of love with a satisfied sigh. Chloe had been right. She needed this. "Would you all be alright with piling onto my bed tonight? I don't want to be alone..." Of course none of them were heartless enough to say no, not now. She was swept up in Chloe's strong arms and carted toward her room with Victoria and Kate, hand-and-hand in tow.


	5. MVCK

Max stood in the entryway of her apartment playing idly with the floofy skirts of her beautiful new costume. The moment they had been invited to a party by some of their art school friends, Victoria had the perfect idea for a group costume. Because of course she did. And naturally, her secret nerd side came out as she sat everyone down for a marathon of the show RWBY, explaining who everyone would be dressed as when they showed up.

Max was, of course, the leader Ruby with her short hair and beautiful battle dress. She was, perhaps, a little too delighted by the fluffiness of the skirts, especially for someone who never got dolled up. Chloe stepped out of her room all decked out in yellow with a blonde wig and impressive-looking gauntlets. She had even managed to find a pair of goggles that were hanging loosely around her neck. "Damn, it's a fucking shame we're sisters, Max."

She gave a nervous, embarrassed laugh and rubbed the back of her neck, looking down at her feet. "Way to make it awkward as hell, Chloe. Besides, you heard Victoria. Kate is your love interest for tonight." As if on cue, Kate emerged all in black and white looking incredibly awkward about her character. She looked pretty good with the dark hair, and Max could understand why showing so much skin wasn't normally Kate's thing. But she did look good, and now she was feeling a little bit jealous of Chloe.

"A-Are you sure I'm not... I-I don't know, showing off this much? Am I giving people the wrong idea?"

Chloe instantly wrapped an arm possessively around Kate's shoulders and kissed her cheek lovingly. "Awwww, Blakie! It doesn't matter, you're all mine. And I think you look dashing."

As if on cue to help Max deal with her slight jealousy, Victoria appeared, looking every bit the part of the heiress. Max tried to keep her jaw from dropping, admiring the dedication Victoria put to getting her Weiss costume right, even bleaching her hair silver and pulling it into the side ponytail. "Well well, I do good work if I do say so myself! Combat skirts for the win~" She stepped up to Max, taking her hand and kissing her cheek as well. "I just wish we had a puppy to play the part of Zwei. Oooh! Let's get a corgi some day!"

"We have Alice!" Kate piped up eagerly, causing Chloe to laugh and flick her fake ears.

"Alice can barely handle being in the same room as all of us sometimes. How well do you think she would do being taken to a party with a bunch of drunk college students?"

The party wasn't all that far away, so the girl's opted to walk over and enjoy the chilly October air. As was dictated by Victoria's hearty fandom rules, she was to stick with Max and Kate would be with Chloe. Max found it more than a little entertaining, just how passionately she held to these 'ships' of hers. "You know, we watched all three seasons together, and I don't see any reason is has to be the way you say..." Not that she disapproved, but occasionally the girls liked to poke fun at Victoria's obsessions.

"You're just saying that because you want an excuse to hang on Chloe like you always do! You incestuous weirdo~" Clearly Victoria wasn't opposed to fighting back. "Besides, it's obvious you weren't watching the same show I was! How does their partnership start? Eye contact. Practically from day one they've been literally eyeing each other!"

Walking a few steps behind them, Katie was clinging to Chloe's arm with a small sigh. "What's the matter, Katie-baby?"

"I guess I just don't see myself as being that much like Blake. The rest of you all have costumes that make sense. But I'm nothing like her." She knew she was probably overdoing it just a little, but the sentiment was still an honest one.

Naturally, Chloe was right on the ball with her response. Unlike Kate, she seemed to be constantly filled with confidence. "You're smart, a serious reader. You can be moody but you still have a good sense of humor about things. You're an outcast split between various groups and you want them to live in harmony. You're beautiful. You're badass. I think Blake fits you perfectly." Chloe snickered and nudged her again. "Besides, I saw how hard you cried during the end of season 3. You have it **bad** for Yang. Like a certain black cat. I'm not sayin', I'm just sayin'." Kate beamed and blushed, continuing to walk alongside her in a contented, embarrassed silence. But it was obvious she appreciated what Chloe had to say.

* * *

In many ways, the party itself wasn't much to write home about. It was at a friend's apartment, there were only 20 or so other people around. The music was a variety of spooky-scary pop stuff and the occasional tune from _Nightmare Before Christmas_ or whatever. The drinks were decent, the company was nice, and even Kate was having a pleasant time. The girls actually didn't have to explain their costumes to nearly as many people as they expected.

Somehow they eventually found themselves out on the back porch sharing one last drink before stumbling their way back home. It wasn't exactly stargazing, but you could look up and see some vaguely blinky lights. Not a bad way to finish a party.

"Remember where we were this time last year...?" Max was the first one to break the comfortable silence, naturally.

Chloe scoffed and looked over at her, pulling the wig from her head and scratching her scalp. "Uh, yeah. Vicky was yelling at me because shit was about to get complicated." Everyone else immediately began laughing as well, with various degrees of awkwardness and embarrassment.

"Can you blame me? Everyone was crushing on everyone else and it was threatening to blow up in our faces. I... may have been a little heavy-handed about it. I can admit that..." Even after a year, Victoria still had a hard time letting her pride go completely.

"Hah, I had it pretty bad, didn't I? At the time I would have said it was my fault that things were so tense." Kate was giggling softly and nudged into Max and Victoria alternately. "But it all worked out."

Pushing herself off the porch bannister, Max gave a little stretch causing her back to pop slightly. "C'mon team RWBY, let's get outta here before we have to carry someone home."

* * *

Whether it was Victoria's influence with the costumes or sheer happenstance, the girls remained in their 'canon' pairings as they made their way to bed.

Kate was presently laying there with her head on Chloe's bare chest as the punk toyed with her hair, marveling at just how long she had been keeping the undercut. "You... really think I'm badass?"

 _Ah shit..._ Chloe had always had a habit of just saying stuff as it popped into her head. As a consequence, occasionally she said things that were true even if she herself didn't know why. Case in point, she would absolutely agree that Kate was quite a badass. But with the girl looking at her all wide-eyed and curious, she was slightly stumped for a decent explanation.

"Well... Yeah! You dealt with some of the darkest, most disgusting parts of life in a small town. You went to the deepest depths and came back out the other side stronger and more beautiful than ever. You cleaned up Victoria and were brave enough to love Max even when she was dating me. You left the safety of your familiar church and found a place that would actually respect you."

Chloe could swear she saw Kate tearing up a little, but she wasn't going to rub it in or anything. "That's badass?"

"Way more badass than my faux-punk bullshit, Katie. You're the realest motherfucker I've ever met."

"Language, Chloe..." she said lovingly as she nuzzled into her chest.

Across the hall in Victoria's lavish bed, Max lay snuggled up to her other girlfriend, practically purring in delight. "Is there a way for me to tell you how much I love what a nerd you are without it sounding like teasing? Because tonight was so much fun and your idea was really perfect. We looked so cute! And I felt like such a boss in that battle skirt."

"I wish we'd had time for weapons! Though that probably would have been kind of difficult, hauling them around and all. But yeah, Chloe and Kate looked amazing." She looked up at the ceiling with a contented smile on her face.

True to form, Max gave a dramatic pout and leaned up to look into her eyes. "What about me?"

"Let's just say I would have been staring at your ass all night if the poofy skirts didn't make it impossible."


	6. Keeping the Yuletide Gay

Against her instincts, Kate had decided to go home for Christmas break. She knew she would miss everyone, but she also missed her family to death. And her father assured her that her mother just might be in a better state of mind.

So far things were going well, mostly because she was spending her first night at home holed up in her room with a book. She was curled up in her favorite spot in all the world, her bedroom bay window, with a blanket and a little mug of tea. Only a familiar gentle knocking and equally gentle voice could have drawn her from her retreat – Lynn, peaking around her door with a nervous smile. "Katie? Do you have a second?"

Kate fluidly marked her spot in her book and shifted to make room for her baby sister on the comfy windowsill. "Always, kiddo. What's on your mind?" Lynn was quick to get up onto the little cushion and lean against her, but not nearly as quick to speak.

"You um... So... You and... your..." Poor Lynn was blushing heavily and Kate felt rather bad for her. Granted she still had her moments, but the others had done a lot of work making her less anxious all the time. "Your girlfriend. How did you figure out that it wasn't just... I don't know, like you were more than friends, even more than just a crush?"

Okay, well, now Kate was blushing, just a little. She reached out and placed her hand against Lynn's head, petting her gently with a warm smile. There was a part of her that was terrified that her baby sister was into girls as well, and being the second gay girl in the family wouldn't have been great on anyone's mental health. But she also wasn't going to give her anything other than proper advice and, well, the truth. Not that it was easy. "There's no guaranteed way. But I'll do what I can. Our history is complicated. She was one of the students who... um... was being less than kind to me at first. But after everything happened, she was one of the first people to change her pattern of behavior." Unknown to Kate, she had an enormous ridiculous smile on her face as she remembered the beginning of her romance with Victoria.

"So I'm not the best example. But I can tell you that once we got to know each other, the most important things have always been the smallest and the most difficult. Sometimes we fight but we always make up. She doesn't understand why I'm so religious, but it's one of the things she loves most about me. I almost leapt off the roof of Blackwell, and that was partly because of her, and she's apologized a million times over." Kate hugged Lynn tightly and smiled. "Chances are whatever person you end up with, you might not expect it. But you'll know it's them when you realize that pretty much everything is worth it. You'll try extra hard and never even notice."

Lynn giggled and finally stood up from the bay window. "I'm not sure if you've actually helped me, but I certainly feel better." Kate grinned and was ready to go back to reading her book when, as she left her room, Lynn cheerily said "Hey mom!" Kate shut her eyes tight, not sure if she was quite prepared for this moment. But with each passing second her mother was already coming into her room and taking a seat where Lynn had been moments before.

The two sat there in a heavy, awkward silence for a while. Kate was feeling the pressure to speak up. But what could she say? She wasn't sorry for anything she'd done. And it would have been equally awful to forgive the woman if she wasn't ready to ask for forgiveness first. Her heart was pounding and Kate could feel herself starting to panic.

And then, unexpectedly, her mother began to cry softly. The girl was positive this was the coming storm, the guilt-trip that her mother had been working on for over a year now. The video. The rooftop. Victoria. Running away to Portland. So she was quite surprised to hear her mother say the one word that she had perhaps never said to her, at least not lately.

"I'm sorry, Kate. I haven't been the greatest mother to you recently. I heard your conversation with Lynn. S-Somehow, even with my terrible behavior, you've still managed to grow into an amazing young woman. I don't understand how it is you've fallen in love with another girl. And I certainly don't know how you have managed to make it agree with your spirit. But... you have. And... and you're my daughter! It would be ridiculous of me to push you away any longer. I love you, Katie."

Against all sense and odds, Kate found herself pulled into a tight hug with her mother, her tea cold and forgotten on the floor beside her. "I-I love you too, mom..."

* * *

Things were not quite so storybook in the Chase household. The _good news_ , if it could be called that, was that her mother was completely drunk. This meant that she was really only dealing with her father. Unfortunately, her father had enough asshole in him for two parents. Comments about her choice of living space. Comments about her classes and grades. Comments about her girlfriend (and jesus, thank goodness he didn't know about the other two!)

Comments. Comments. Comments. The man could _talk_.

Well, so could Victoria Chase. "Daddy! I swear, you are completely unbelievable!" Victoria stormed through the kitchen with every intention of getting herself something to drink as well before realizing this was probably a bad plan considering she was, y'know, underage. So instead she had to try and pour herself a glass of water aggressively, which was far from easy.

"It's always Chase-this and Chase-that!" Sipping water aggressively, it turned out, was also not super effective. But she was on her own warpath now and there was no backing down. "I'm not _just_ a Chase. I'm _Victoria Maribeth_ Chase! And I don't care what a Chase would study or where a Chase would live. Because Victoria Maribeth lives in a slightly grody apartment with her girlfriends – yes, girlfriends, because I am an adult and I'm proud of who I am! And Victoria Maribeth goes to Portlandia U, a mid-tier school where she is quite happy in her classes even if her professors suck and her classmates are idiots!"

She huffed and slammed the glass down on the counter at which point her father began to applaud, of all things. She was prepared to double-down on her rage until she realized he wasn't giving her a sarcastic 80's slow-clap and the confusion drained her of all adrenaline. "My baby finally found her fangs. We all have to leave the nest eventually. I have loved having you as my princess. But now it's time for you to go out into the world and dominate the shit out of it."

Victoria's jaw felt like it was nearly on the ground at that point. "So, you don't actually disapprove of where I am or who I'm with?"

The man gave a bright laugh, something that he almost never did. Ever. "Are you kidding? Of course I do! And the first step on the road to true greatness is realizing that what I think doesn't matter anymore!" This freaking conversation was basically going... nowhere close to where Victoria expected it to. Especially not the part where he walked up and hugged her, along with her very drunk mom. "You're still our daughter. And we love you to pieces."

"We're ol' and crusty and have no clue how anything works anymore, dear." Her mother cut in with a great deal of slurring. "Tha's what it means tah be a parent. If you wanna fuck all your friends and take pictures of runway models, we won't understand. Ever. But we still love you."

"Ugh. And I love you guys too." Victoria squeezed both her parents, rolling her eyes as she did so. Leave it to a Chase family Christmas to somehow be perfect and yet a complete mess.


	7. The View from Heaven

Los Angeles in spring was beautiful. Way too beautiful. A day like this should have been dark and miserable and cold. But instead Chloe was standing under the brilliant sun with her girlfriends on a little stretch of empty beach as dudes and dudettes surfed in the distance. The sound of children squealing in delight could be heard almost constantly.

Over Christmas, Chloe was paid a visit by Rachel Amber's parents. They knew full well how much the two meant to each other. They also knew how much LA meant to Rachel and wanted some of her ashes to be spread there. She could only take the small container from them and nod her head silently. Her eyes were filled with tears and her vocal chords refused to work. Back in Portland, none of the others were willing to refuse that kind of request. So the plans were made to spend spring break down in Los Angeles. They couldn't stay forever, and they couldn't do anything particularly crazy, but it was as exciting as it was sobering.

After some relaxing and some clubbing, eventually the time came. The four of them were dressed in dark clothing and Chloe had already poured the small pile of ashes directly into her cupped hands. Everyone seemed relatively undisturbed by this except Kate. But she didn't particularly care, she just needed to hold her one last time. She was saying goodbye today, one final time, for good. The others had put up with her devotion to a dead girl for long enough.

"Would anyone like to say anything?" Chloe wasn't much for formality, obviously, but it seemed like the least they could do was try and handle this pseudo-funeral properly.

Surprisingly, or perhaps not all that surprisingly, Kate was the first to speak up. "My first semester at Blackwell, when I was just starting my Bible study group... U-Um, so the first day, no one came. I sat alone in the classroom for almost an hour when she burst in suddenly. She was all embarrassed, apparently she walked in by mistake. But she refused to leave until I told her more about what I was doing. She actually asked me questions and challenged me a little. Not being mean, just honest. Then she told me about this e. e. cummings poem she thought I might like." Kate reached for her phone and pulled up the little note she'd saved for herself. She began to recite the poem softly.

 _"i thank You God for most this amazing_  
 _day:for the leaping greenly spirits of trees_  
 _and a blue true dream of sky; and for everything_  
 _which is natural which is infinite which is yes_

 _(i who have died am alive again today,_  
 _and this is the sun's birthday; this is the birth_  
 _day of life and of love and wings: and of the gay_  
 _great happening illimitably earth)_

 _how should tasting touching hearing seeing_  
 _breathing any–lifted from the no_  
 _of all nothing–human merely being_  
 _doubt unimaginable You?_

 _(now the ears of my ears awake and_  
 _now the eyes of my eyes are opened)"_

Chloe smirked and continued to stare at the ashes in her palms. "That's so her. Beautiful and grateful and infinite and very gay. Thank you, Katie..." There was some silence after that as everyone processed the bizarre, haunting words they had just been given.

Everyone had assumed that Victoria would likely remain silent on the matter of Rachel Amber. So they were shocked to hear her cough nervously and attempt a commentary. "I never... One time when I was having a really rough day, I went to hide in the bathroom so I could wash my face. I hadn't showered, I had no make-up on, I really wasn't interested in humanity that day. And naturally Rachel would be the one who walks in on me. I could tell she knew that I was at a low point, and yet she didn't say anything about it. She just... she just told me how pretty I am, even without make-up, and went about her business. I had been a bitch to her for months, and she still took time out of her day to treat me like a decent person. Sometimes I-I start to question if she was even real."

Chloe could sense that Max wanted to be able to say something, but obviously she didn't have much of a frame of reference. But still... Maxine Caulfield had a way of speaking her mind in a way that everyone appreciated, even when she was unsure. Gently, she gave her a little bump and a smile. "Go on, dork, I can tell there's something on your mind."

"I only know Rachel through stories," she said with that infinitely adorable bashful smile. "Well, that and graffiti, but I don't put much stock in that stuff. So... Having only stories to go off of, she was apparently the most amazing human being ever. Everyone loved her, even the people that didn't like her. A lot of people looked up to her and were rooting for her to get here and become the world's most famous model. And I think that for all that it's a massive tragedy what happened, it's kind of... K-Kind of beautiful to be able to leave a legacy that powerful." There was a moment or two of the usual awkward fumbling. "That's all."

Yup. She nailed it.

Now it was her turn. And Chloe really, really wasn't ready for it. She couldn't even get through the first syllable before the tears began to fall. Everyone was immediately holding her, giving her plenty of silence for when she was ready.

"Ruh-Rach'. I love you so much. I probably always will. I know you had your secrets and your vices, but so did I. Everyone thought you were perfect, but you weren't. And I d-damn sure wasn't. But you loved me anyway. I still feel awful sometimes for moving on, but I think you would have wanted it this way." She gave a ragged little laugh and shifted her footing. "You always told me how gay I was. Look at me now, with three amazing girlfriends. You would have loved that. Shit, y-you probably would have been number four. Three bad bitches and two cinnamon rolls out to conquer the art world."

Chloe took one last deep breath and sighed, finally releasing the ashes into the gentle wind. "I'm gonna let you go for a while. But I'll never forget you." She brushed her hands off and was immediately surprised with a passionate and solemn group hug. "C'mon, I wanna get back to the hotel so we can drink and snuggle. I don't think I can handle any more sap for today..."


	8. What Is This, A Shitty Coffee House AU?

After an entire winter break apart, and a spring break mourning Rachel Amber, it was decided that the girls would stick around Portland for their summer. Of course, Chloe had a job already, Kate signed up for anything and everything she could get her hands on – church, library, hospital – Victoria was naturally attempting to survive a sales job with a clothing store. Max had gone for the obvious choice and managed to snag a barista job with a cafe just a few blocks from their apartment. Slinging coffee to students on break and hipsters and tourists, listening to chill music, hanging around people who just wanted a quiet place to get a little reading done. This place basically felt like the perfect fit!

As it turned out, Max had more aptitude for the job than she expected. She was good at giving the perfect greeting smile and offering the small-talk, all while moving about with her hands deftly. Only a few days in and she already felt like she was getting a hand on things. It was too busy for her to be making the java so she was on register duty. She was getting into a groove when a shock of blue hair caught her eye and she grinned at the woman across the counter from her. "I see this place hasn't burned down yet. Gimme a large coffee, dark and sweet as sin. I've got a little break before my next client and I need a pick-me-up."

As she went to give the order to her co-worker, El, they offered her a little grin. "Mad Max, that girl with the blue hair was giving you major heart-eyes. You should give her your number!"

It took a second or so for the gears in Max's head to turn over. Dammit, if only she knew how to blush on command. Or at least how to be embarrassed purposefully. "Y-You think I should? Oh gosh, I've never really done that kinda thing before..."

El snickered, trying hard to play the wise older friend. It might have worked on someone who wasn't lying through her teeth. "It's super easy! You add your number to the cup. If they call, or come by again some time, then that's great! And if they don't come around as often, that's okay too. Just... you know, don't abuse the concept."

Max hurriedly scrawled Chloe's name, her own phone number, and a little heart on the steaming cardboard cup before handing it off. "Just play along," she said under her breath. "Thanks so much for coming by Chloe! I hope you have a wonderful afternoon!"

Chloe stared at the cup as she headed for her truck, slightly bewildered. "Gonna have a difficult time explaining this to the boss..."

* * *

"Tall no-whip half-caf java frapp..." God, this little game that her and Chloe had going was getting aggressive now. Victoria had been eager to play the bitch ever since she discarded that particular profession following everything at Blackwell. "Are you deaf? Get on it, wage slave. I haven't got forever..."

They both knew full well that Tori had her own wage slavery to get back to, but that didn't make her old voice any less grating.

Max couldn't fire back, so she just had to grin through it. "I'm so very sorry Ma'am, but you're thinking of an entirely different coffee house franchise. I would be more than happy to give you something equivalent." Victoria gave her that little 'oh so pleased with herself' smile, pursing her lips and smiling just so.

"I suppose that will have to do. Carry on..." Max made sure to label Victoria's cup in the same way she had done with Chloe's before. El gave her a little knowing smile as they blended the ice and syrup for the drink. Max just smiled right back at her as bashfully as she could manage without giving away what she was up to.

"What?" she said quietly. "I like 'em bossy..." Max turned back to her totally-not-girlfriend with the blended coffee drink. "And there you are, Miss. Tell you what, this one's on the house, as long as you promise to stop buying your caffeinated beverages from a certain other local legend?" As the blonde left the establishment, El bumped shoulders with Max and grinned.

"I take back everything. I think I'm gonna need **you** to teach **me** and not the other way around."

* * *

Max stepped into the bright sunlight and grinned at the sight of Kate, fresh from working with children at the hospital. Right on cue, she passed her the iced tea she'd promised her and curled up against her with a little sigh. "Long day?" Max asked.

"Long day..."

"Awesome, then we should get home imme-" Before she could even drag Kate away, her manager popped out of the coffee shop. The man had this amazing way of looking incredibly apologetic for taking your time, but also not leaving you any options to ignore him. "Um, okay, well then we'll get home immediately after... whatever this is!" Kate shrugged and settled into a nearby bench while she waited.

"Hey, you wanted to see me, Carl? Is everything okay?" Max was already on her way home, and now she was getting that Look from her boss. She was starting to worry that maybe something was actually wrong here.

He gestured to a chair across from his desk. "Please, sit down, Max. I've heard from El that you've been a little... playful with some of our customers lately..." Max froze, trying desperately to rearrange all the pieces in her mind so she could explain this to Carl without sounding like a total maniac. "It's alright, this isn't an HR thing. I noticed you talking with your girlfriend out front and... You're young. You're free to do whatever you wish. But I just wanted to tell you to think long and hard about being honest with that poor thing out there. Before you break her heart forever."

Max was fairly certain that there was an entire story here that she wasn't particularly interested hearing just yet. But more to the point... what? Was it normal for bosses to do this kind of thing? "There has been a massive misunderstanding. But I'm also not sure exactly how much to tell you. The girl you saw outside is Kate, my girlfriend. The other two that El has seen me flirting with are also my girlfriends. And Kate's. We live together, not far from here."

What had started as a silly little game that would allow Max to play around with her girlfriends had now turned into something of an existential crisis. Would this just be life forever now? Hopefully with Victoria and Kate, but with anyone really. Constantly explaining, always afraid of judgment and being shunned? Knowing that she might have serious legal issues and she would have to essentially choose 'just one wife' for the rest of her days.

"How many shifts did it take for El to tell you they were nonbinary?" The question snapped Max out of her thoughts.

"Uh, my first shift, like... within a few minutes? I guess?" Max wasn't certain where this was going.

Carl gave her a more normal smile for once. "They told me during the hiring process. Probably would have been smarter if they hadn't, since some places are less... open. And I hired them happily, because they are incredibly good at their job. And you're not too bad either. I think it's just lovely you have three girlfriends! Just, you know, be careful how you deal with that fact, I suppose?" He sighed and leaned back in his seat.

"I can't give you an official notice or a heads-up or anything. Basically this is just me talking, as a friend. You need to get good at owning it. You need to think about your elevator pitch, in case you end up with another job that isn't willing to overlook something they don't understand." His phone suddenly buzzed against the desk and interrupted him. He checked the screen, smirked, and nodded at Max. "Go on, get outta here. Have a good night. I think you're going to enjoy your evening..."

She barely made it out the cafe's front door before Kate launched at her squealing delightedly. "It's happening!"

* * *

Max lay in a delightful haze stretched across Kate, Chloe, and Victoria's laps. At some point, she had missed the Supreme Court's decision about same-sex marriage, and suddenly the world felt like it was just a little bit more amazing. They watched videos online of people flooding their courthouses and churches, all of them sobbing like babies.

Still... something about what Carl had said to her at work, obviously, stuck with her. She found herself sniffling softly for a very different reason. She had been pretty courageous in her life so far, but it seemed like maybe it was going to take even more from her than she'd been expecting.

"Do you guys wanna get married?"

 **[C/N: Don't get out the champagne just yet, I left this on a cliffhanger for a reason :3]**


	9. I Think I Wanna Marry You

" _Do you guys wanna get married?"_

The combined surprise of three girls was enough to send Max tumbling to the floor of the living room with a soft grunt. She probably should have seen that coming. It was her usual mistake of poor wording that had made everyone upset after all.

"Max, are you nuts? Marriage is for responsible, normal people. We're basically still kids!"

"I-I only just got my mother to be more accepting! If I get married now, she'll kill me..."

"Do you know how many years of school we still have left? There's no way I'm doing that until I've got my degree!"

Everyone was speaking basically in unison and with elevated voices and it wasn't helping the slight headache that she'd received from bumping into the floor. Max got up to a seated position and rubbed her head on its sore spot. "Y-You guys, I was... talking hypothetically! Like... Like in a future sense... Of course I'm not ready to get married yet. But I was so swept up in the moment and I had to ask."

Chloe moved swiftly to pull her up from the ground. "Oooookay. Time to get Super Max into bed. Sweet dreams you two~" Her blue-haired girlfriend tugged her into her room and was soon snuggling with her in bed. Particularly when the two of them slept together, they liked to do so completely nude. It was never something they discussed outwardly, it just happened that way. Both Max and Chloe liked to be as close to one another as possible, and that meant not letting a single thing get in the way between them. Often, it wasn't even a sexual thing, but purely sensory, to have that constant feel of skin against skin.

Max was resting against Chloe's chest, fully aware that she was now being kind of sulk-y, and Chloe wasn't so unobservant as to miss it. Fingers raked through her hair, and eyes full of concern gazed down at her. "Sorry we ruined your adorable moment, Max. We... could have handled that better." She paused for a moment, searching for her words, which was not something Chloe did as often as she ought to. "Let's face it, under different circumstances, I would probably think more highly of marriage. But dad died and then mom was alone, and then mom married an asshole and at the time it just felt like a complete betrayal against dad. So I'm conflicted. And maybe I guess some of that came bubbling up and I freaked. I just didn't realize Kate and Victoria would too." There was another pause as she collected her words together again.

"But as much as it terrifies me... Honestly it's also the only thing I can ever think about when I look at you. I don't necessarily get all girly and think about the wedding itself or whatever. But sometimes I catch myself imagining us cooking pancakes together and we both have rings on our fingers and shit. So I mean yeah. It'll happen. Some day." Each time Chloe spoke up, Max could feel her body loosen up a little more. Her eyes closed and she was finally shaking off her worries from before.

* * *

Kate tugged on the frumpy t-shirt, much to Victoria's amusement. There was something about Kate's wardrobe choices – both during the day and at night – that had once upon a time driven her insane and now made her love the girl all the more. "Okay so... what about _not_ immediately...?"

Victoria was so invested in watching her get dressed in her amazingly normal clothing that she had somewhat lost track of this conversation. "Wait, immediate what...?"

She was giggling as she climbed into the bed next to Victoria, kissing her cheek and smiling at her with appreciation and affection. "Y'know... marriage. Like, once you get over the terror of 'what if we got married tomorrow' and just focused on the general future. Is that something you'd... want?" With lights and things all shut off now, they were illuminated only by what could sneak in through the blinds. Even in that low light, Victoria could see that there was very legitimate interest and concern on Kate's face.

"Understand that I'm saying this in light of how I grew up – with parents who, for all I knew, probably hated each other as much as anything. They were like the kids of two royal families, married out of convenience. I mean, maybe they even loved each other for a time, but they knew that long-term affection would never be their thing." Victoria sighed and closed her eyes, not wanting to look at Kate's sincere, beautiful eyes while telling she explained herself.

"So I always assumed that would be the type of life I'd eventually find myself in. The only other images I ever had of being married were from television, and I knew I would never let myself become a bored housewife." Victoria let herself take a slow breath to center her thinking. "But... Happy, normal marriage free of repression and hate were basically never a thing that existed to me. And the idea that it's possible is taking some getting used to. But if it were just this, just... the kind of stuff we've already been doing, being domestic and happy and busy and productive and... I would marry the _shit_ out of you, Kate Marsh~" Victoria shuffled and wiggled to get a little closer to Kate so she could playfully peck her lips.

Some combination of phrasing and kissing elicited a little giggle of delight from Kate and she nodded her approval. "You wouldn't think it, but I think I can relate to some of what you said. Except it was always like... dad was really happy to be married and everything. And mom was kind of... not so happy to be married. Or like... it was a burden for her to bear rather than something joyous for her to participate in. And I guess a lot of that has to do with church stuff and... you know, the usual list of Kate Marsh issues." She smiled wearily here. "And it's a pretty cliché thing, but I was terrified that some day I would become like her – kind of bitter and angry and sad and repressed. And I know that none of you would ever let me get away with it. So it's like the thought of it still makes me anxious, but mostly because of my own hang-ups. Getting to marry Victoria Chase would be pretty much the best thing ever."

* * *

Max shifted, almost imperceptibly, to see if she could find a slightly more comfortable position. Chloe had this amazing sweet spot and it always took her a few minutes to hunt it down again. Max could only hope that some day she would have this girl's body memorized. "What about Tori and Katie?"

"Well, polygamy's still not a thing, hon."

Max pouted up at her. "That's not...! I mean, we're not gonna ditch them some day, are we?"

She could see Chloe's brow knitting together, showing some overloads going on inside her head and heart now. Max hadn't seen her consider so many words so carefully in ages. "Babe, it's already not super common to find consistently polyamorous groups. I mean, I guess we could do some research into it. I just... always assumed that some day, even if it's not for years and years, we would probably end up going separate ways. It can be tough enough for two people to act as a single organism, and you're talking about effectively doubling that level of difficulty..."

"But... it's not impossible, right?"

There was another pause, but this time it was followed by rather bright laughter from Chloe. "Max Caulfield, you are going to be the death of me. What, stopping a killer, a storm, and saving an entire town wasn't enough for you? You want to go to war against the world of romance itself? Not even rainbow flags outside the courts are going to slake your thirst, huh? Look, we're stuck with each other, so there's no sense in fighting you on this issue. If you want, we will do our best to further degrade real marriage." Chloe was still snickering, good naturedly, and kissed the top of her head. "Besides, I don't actually _want_ to give up either of our girlfriends. I just figured it was inevitable. I am more than happy to be proven wrong here."

* * *

Despite their combined hesitations when it came to weddings and marriage, watching Kate go into planning mode was quite possibly the cutest thing ever. Victoria didn't have to do anything, just stand back and watch her go. "No no, it's so easy. We can do a dual wedding together, and with most of the people who would be there, like everyone knows what it really is anyway. And the four of us can get a place together, just like here. Maybe this time, even go with the two bedroom option – like when we were visiting and we stayed at that hotel!"

As adorable as this little tangent was, it did make Victoria pause. "So... it'll still be the four of us that far down the line?" She wasn't trying to crush Kate's dreams or anything. If they actually could stick together like some big beautiful family, that would be amazing. But when it came time for big decisions – where to move, what jobs to take – that meant a lot more work between themselves. Hell, even the concept of a double wedding sounded like a fucking nightmare. But she also wanted Kate's optimism to win out like it often did. "That does... sound amazing..."

To her surprise, rather than engaging Victoria's doubt, she just closed her eyes and got this knowing smile. "It will be." And that settled the matter, as was often how things went with Kate.


	10. A Colossal Gesture

"Wait. Are you... Are you playing the bad guy?"

Chloe looked over from the television screen at her girlfriend with an amused smile. "I thought you said you'd never seen this game before."

Kate smiled back at her, nudging her playfully with her shoulder. "I haven't. But I can recognize clever storytelling structure. You have your dead girlfriend who you're going to revive – is it a miracle or necromancy? - and you're commanded by a disembodied, suspicious voice to kill a bunch of monsters. It's incredibly common to play up the subjective nature of what makes a monster. But you want your girlfriend back, so you do what it tells you. You ride out across a majestic landscape and find the first creature. And it's giant and terrifying and kind of sad and you do the deed. And then gross black magic flies out and seeps into you? I mean, if you're not the bad guy, then you're a patsy for sure."

Chloe began to laugh as she resumed playing. "Well, lucky for you, this game is about the journey and not the destination. You have fifteen more colossi to decide if your little pet theory is correct or not."

Chloe had recently purchased a beat-up old PS2 for herself off Amazon, and was excited to show nerd newbie Kate some of her favorite games. First up was Shadow of the Colossus. And despite the fact that Kate felt like she could see the ending coming a mile away, Chloe had a point. It was still a gorgeous game, and it had this delightful way of alternating between peaceful horseriding and high-tension monster climbing.

So she got snuggled up with her, only occasionally freaking out when poor Chloe was stories high and running low on her grip strength. She would slap her shoulder and squeak excitedly and tell her to do things she was clearly already doing. Kate knew full well she was being overly adorable when she didn't have to be. It was nice to be a performative girlfriend sometimes, if only to make one of the others smile a little bigger.

This continued for a while, a marvelous Saturday afternoon to relax before classes started back up. As Chloe began another long ride across the land, she glanced over in Kate's direction with another smile, one that she instantly recognized as nervous. Either Chloe was getting worse at hiding her feelings or Kate was getting better at recognizing them. "So uh... We never really talked anymore about things after Max proposed to us. How did all that shake out with you and Vicky?"

"Hmm... Well, we discovered that we had more in common than we thought. I feel like that happens a lot, even after all this time. We both have pretty crummy ideas about marriage, but agreed that sometimes it feels like we're married already. So making it legal would be a logical step." She swallowed and blushed, burrowing into Chloe's shoulder as mild embarrassment washed over her. "I may have gotten swept up and started making plans for a big wedding for the four of us. I'm told it was infinitely endearing."

"You too, huh? Yeah, Max was dead-set on bucking multiple traditions and sticking it out for the long haul."

Kate nodded slowly, pushing herself to sit back up. "I'm glad. I remember thinking during my conversation with Tori that if she wasn't interested in marriage, if we eventually split up for some reason, then I would still be happy to tag along with you guys. Even just as a third wheel."

Surprising her a bit, Chloe put the game on pause, setting the controller aside. She turned on the couch and looked her dead in the eyes. Kate shrunk just a little reflexively, even though she was certain Chloe was just winding up for some big affectionate response. "Kate, if Victoria were to actually do that? If the impossible, million to one odds were to actually land and she decided she didn't want to be with you anymore? Baby, Max and I would make you feel like a goddamn queen."

"Really?" It slipped out so easily, and for a moment Kate felt like she was back at Blackwell, all tiny and scared and nervous all the time. "Bu-But... you're primaries. I'd always be just an intruder in your relationship..."

There was a flash of anger in Chloe's eyes, but not the terrifying kind that would make you concerned it might get turned at you. It was that more rare, righteous kind that made her look strikingly beautiful. "That's just a label Kate. And you know better than any of us that labels are only as good as their flexibility. Max and I adore you! We know what you need, what you like, what you want, and we fucking love giving that to you. Together. All of us."

Kate blinked and realized that she was tearing up a little. This was so dumb, of course she wouldn't just be an annoyance to them. But there was that part of her mind that was never really satisfied. "I know that... But sometimes I just..."

Chloe actually smiled, shocking her out of her slump. "I knew this day would come. I just didn't think it would be so soon..." She turned to look in the direction of Max's bedroom. "Max! Get out here and bring your phone!"

Max came wandering into the living room a moment later, looking somewhat baffled, but carrying her phone as requested. "Chloe, what's with all the ruckus? I've got this reading I need to get done before class on Monday because my professor is a-"

"Max. Operation Whatever Amen. Are you good?"

All of her exhaustion drained out of her face and Max erupted in a massive grin. Chloe stood up while she pressed something on her phone and a moment later some piano music started playing. Kate had absolutely no clue what to expect next, but a karaoke session was not high on the list. They began dancing awkwardly, and as the voice on the phone started singing, they joined in.

"She plays Wipeout on the drums, the squirrels and the birds come, gather round to sing the guitar. Ohhh I – have you got nothin' to say?" They giggled brightly, still dancing as Max grabbed for Kate's hand and tugged her up to her feet, urging her to join them. "And you can seeeeeeee the daisies in her footsteps. Dandelions, butterflies. I wanna be Kate!" Chloe and Max were still moving but Kate stopped when she realized why they were singing this song, they were singing to and about her. Her eyes watered again as she tried to comprehend how long they had been planning this – theatrics aside.

"Everyday she wears the same thing," Max sang, taking over singing by herself before passing the invisible mic to Chloe who added "I think she smokes pot," with a wink and a smirk. Max continued "She's everything I need," with Chloe finishing the line "she's everything I'm not!"

They resumed singing in unison, and while a few of the lyrics got lost in translation, they were much clearer on the bridge. "She never gets weeeeeet, she smiles and it's a rainbow. And she speaks! And she breathes! I wanna be Kate! Kate! Kate!"

There were still more words, but they became lost on her somewhat as she was pulled into further dancing, all three of them now giggling brightly. Max and Chloe were barely able to get the last few bits out through all the gasping and laughing. They playfully twirled her back and forth between them, until she finally ended in Chloe's arms, who dipped her and went in for a romantic kiss.

The music ended and she was helped back upright as Victoria finally came over to investigate the commotion. "What in the name of sweet baby Jesus did I miss?"

"We were seducing your girlfriend with Ben Folds Five." Chloe looked so damn proud of herself, and Kate couldn't help but reward her with a peck on the cheek.

Victoria got this kind of exhausted look on her face, gripping the bridge of her nose between her thumb and forefinger, eyes shutting tight. "She's your girlfriend too, you complete goober."

"Yeah and she needed a quick reminder of that fact..."

Chloe chuckled and finally let go of Kate, and she went over to kiss Max on the cheek as well, then sauntering over and giving Victoria's cheek a peck for good measure. "I love you all very much, and... sometimes I let myself forget how much it's reciprocated. Chloe and Max were just making sure I knew it, in their own... special way."

* * *

That night, Victoria was working late on school prep stuff of her own, and so it seemed appropriate that Kate ended up spending the night in Max's bed with her and Chloe. They had insisted that she snuggle up between the two of them, and she couldn't really turn down such a sweet offer. She was curled up on her side facing Chloe, with Max playing big spoon for her, and Chloe's lanky limbs encircling the both of them. It was warm, and safe, and she couldn't believe that she would let herself think she was only a third wheel. "So... how long were you guys sitting on that little production anyway?"

Max hummed in thought, idly pressing a kiss to her neck. "Christmas break last year? You and Tori were with your families, and Chloe went with me to Portland. And it kinda just started as a silly conversation. I mentioned that there was a song about a girl named Kate and how charming it was. Except the more we talked about it, the more it felt really appropriate actually. Not like we choreographed it much or anything. But it was always there in our pockets, just in case."

"And you really see all that stuff in me? I leave flowers in my wake and smile rainbows?" She knew she shouldn't be saying these things like this. Obviously they did. Obviously they thought the world of her. Maybe she doubted it or maybe she just needed to hear it again.

She could see Chloe looking at her with those soft eyes there in the dark. It was a look she gave almost nobody else in the entire world except for her girlfriends. Kate treasured that look. "You know, most of the time when a degenerate like me decides to start calling someone an angel or a saint, it's like an insult or whatever. You're the only person I can think of that I always meant it for seriously."

"Okay. Thank you. I think maybe sometimes I just need to hear it again. I know it makes me seem a little needy." Kate closed her eyes and smiled gently.

The other two both snuggled in closer to her, wrapping around as tightly as they could without suffocating her. "We'll tell you every day if that's what it takes... Sing that song once a week..." Max whispered softly.

"Until you're sick of us..." Chloe added.

Kate yawned, burrowing and nuzzling a little more. "Impossible..."


	11. Oh Thank God

Another Halloween, another group costume. This year, no one really had the energy to go out anywhere, but they knew they could at least hand out candy. Kids wandered the neighborhood, though they didn't really come into the girls' apartment building, so they opted to set up a little station in the yard instead. After the success of their group costume the previous year, and knowing that they were going to be greeting children, Kate suggested they go with a more friendly theme this year – Inside Out.

Kate wore a blue wig, fake glasses, and a sweater. She had even gone the extra mile, getting a tiny sweater and some light fur coloring for Alice. Max had a shirt and tie, and dyed her hair bright red. Chloe opted to return to form in beautiful blue hair, with a yellow dress. And Victoria, naturally, was Disgust, joining the others in dying her hair and, rather than actually coloring her skin, instead went with some perfect green make-up to highlight the basic idea.

Halloween itself was fantastic. There were a ton of kids coming around and Kate and Max would gleefully (and mock-sadly) hand out full-sized candy bars, reveling in the bright smiles they got in return. Victoria thoroughly enjoyed getting to act a bit like her old self, in a way that actually made kids happy instead of ruining their lives. It was a perfect evening, and since public opinion was that trick-or-treating after dark was dangerous, they still had plenty of time to go inside and soak up some horror movies.

Still, something had been bugging Victoria all night. Kate was... well, obviously it wasn't that she was sad. She was playing up her character, that was totally normal for her. It was more like she had been... distracted. She finally got her answer as she went into her room to wipe off the heavy make-up and she heard a knock at her door. "Come in~"

Kate stepped in, having shed her wig and glasses but still wearing that sweater, which was good news because it was a fucking amazing look on her. "Tori, we need to talk."

Oh god, that phrase was never, ever good. Victoria's heart actually stopped for a moment or two and she silently prayed that just this once it didn't have to be the harbinger of doom. "Uh, yeah, of course." She resumed wiping away the make-up, as if the mundane task might keep her from freaking out.

Kate took a seat on the edge of her bed and took a deep breath. "So... I got a call from my mom the other day. She wanted to check in with me about my holiday plans. U-Uh, so we talked for a while and it sounded like going home for Thanksgiving would be nice. And then... she asked me if I could bring you along. Not... like... 'Oh would Victoria like to join us?' but 'I want to meet your girlfriend' kind of thing."

Her heart started beating again, but now it was way too fast. Victoria ignored the process of cleaning her face and moved to the bedside to sit with Kate, taking her hand. Even simply holding it was already helping to calm her down, at least a little. "Well... You said that she was doing better lately, right? I mean, do you get the impression that she wants me out there so she can murder me?"

Luckily, that got at least a tiny little laugh, and Kate gave her a playful shove in return. "No one's getting murdered. It's less about the danger, and more that it's a big huge milestone I've never experienced before. Your significant other meeting the parents and all that? And mom _is_ doing better, but she still has a tendency to ask some awkward questions. It could be a pretty weird weekend if that's the case." Kate suddenly gasped and squeezed her hand. "Oh goodness! I didn't even think to ask what _your_ plans were!"

Giggling, Victoria gently pecked her cheek. "That's alright. My parents are going to Aspen anyway, and I was planning on celebrating here. Max and Chloe are inviting a few people around for a hipster holiday. Call me crazy, but I'd love to party with the Marsh clan."

"You are crazy. But I love you anyway. I promise I will do my best to not leave the two of you alone if I can help it."

Somehow Victoria knew she couldn't necessarily keep that vow. But that was okay, sometimes you just had to go through these things, if only so you could cross it off the checklist.

* * *

Things really were pleasant for a while. The Marsh house was an adorable place that bore all the marks of a religious family with an excess of women present. Hell, Victoria had to admit that even Richard Marsh had a kind of gentleness to him that she couldn't deny. Some pastors could be pretty terrifying, but he seemed to be the sort of person you could actually imagine going to in times of trouble. She wondered what kind of sermons he gave.

Kate's sisters were more or less like younger versions of her. Tara was now a senior in high school herself, and though she seemed just as quiet, Victoria also recognized a child putting up a facade. She was a middle child, no doubt she knew when to get in trouble and when to keep her head down. Lynn was the most curious – animated and lively and chatty. If it weren't for the fact that everyone in the family looked so damn similar, you'd think she was adopted.

And then there was Rebecca Marsh. The word that constantly came to Victoria's mind was 'trying'. When Victoria and Kate first arrived at the house, she had hesitated in calling her Kate's 'girlfriend' and settled on 'friend' instead. She did her best to smile at Victoria and to be welcoming, but always there was an uneasiness bubbling just under the surface. Still, the moment she realized that maybe this wouldn't be explosive was when the two of them were about to head upstairs with their luggage. Rebecca called after them with that same level of unease. "Ah, we don't really have any guest room to speak of. You'll be sleeping with- Well, you'll be in Kate's room." Pretty much everyone was red-faced as they hurried to get upstairs so that they could hide.

Her room made for a nice break, if only because it gave Victoria ample time to look at all the embarrassing childhood pictures and awards and knick-knacks.

That Wednesday evening was a relatively easy affair. Victoria got to know everyone better, there was simple food like sandwiches and chips. Richard's prayer was quick and gentle, and Victoria quite liked that. Kate helped to prep some of the more time-consuming pieces for the meal the next day. Everyone gathered in the living room to watch Charlie Brown specials and other various themed media. It was lovely, and at least for a short while Victoria didn't feel the need to stress too much about whatever it was Rebecca had planned for her.

* * *

Kate's bed might not have been ideal for two people, but Victoria was damn sure the beds at Blackwell were even smaller, and they had made those work. It wasn't like they didn't tend to sleep wrapped up together as tight as they could get anyway. The family had no plans to eat until mid-afternoon, which gave the two of them time to lay together and talk softly to each other, happy to linger in the light shafts entering through her blinds.

"Your family is incredible. I see where you get it from."

Kate turned around so that they could face one another. She was giving her usual warm smile, laughing with delight. "Even my mother?"

Victoria nodded, nuzzling into her gently. "Even her. Based on everything you've told us, it's clear she's changed a lot. Seems you have that effect on people."

"Oh hush..." Kate bopped her playfully on the nose. "That was a lifetime ago. Everything feels so different now, warm and safe. If you say that's thanks to me, well... I suppose I won't argue the point with you."

Eventually they had to get up, if only because the smell of food was floating up from the kitchen and it was hard to lay there any longer. So they showered and dressed in their nicest clothes and headed down to help out with getting everything ready. Unlike the day before, Rebecca seemed even more distracted and anxious around Victoria. It wasn't bad, and all that weirdness was mitigated by Richard, Lynn, and Tara, and of course dear Kate. But ultimately Rebecca was the reason Victoria had come along in the first place. And there really was no ignoring her.

In fact, everyone seemed to be painfully aware that A Talk was coming even if only two of them were going to be involved. Amazing turkey, delicious stuffing, perfect gravy, yadda yadda, everything was wonderful except for that tiniest detail. When the meal was over and the time came to go into a food coma, the girls decided to retire to Kate's bedroom. They weren't even really cuddling or anything, just stretched out side by side and letting all the carbs digest. But before they were able to get too comfy, a knock sounded at the door.

Rebecca walked in, looking bashful and glancing anywhere except at either of them. "Kate... May I speak to Victoria for a moment?"

"Mom, anything you need to say, you can always talk about with-"

Victoria sat up, shaking her head and rubbing her shoulder gently. "That's sweet of you, but I'm sure it will be just fine. I bet Lynn and Tara would like some more quality time with their sister."

Hesitantly, Kate got up and kissed her cheek before leaving the two alone in the room. Rebecca took a seat in the bay window and offered Victoria her warmest smile. "I owe you an apology, dear. I spent far too long making your relationship seem like something to be ignored or despised. Even now, I wanted to welcome you here but I was so nervous about all of this that I've rather messed it all up."

"That... means a great deal. And I'm glad to see just how sincere you are about correcting this. In many ways, it's not as if I can really judge you. Did... Kate happen to tell you the full story of our time at Blackwell?"

Rebecca shook her head, her face darkening a little. This was dangerous territory, obviously, but Victoria felt this was necessary to explain.

"I wasn't just one of the mean kids who pestered her occasionally. Sometimes, it feels like I'm the one who... who um... ultimately put her up on that roof. I i-insulted her and made fun of her and I promoted that stupid video and... But I learned. I began defending her. And do you know what your daughter did? Shortly after getting out of the hospital, she came to see me – not to offer me forgiveness, but to _ask for it_. She felt _bad_ because she had nasty thoughts about us, the kind of thing any normal teenager would feel without guilt." She chuckled softly, looking down at her hands where they lay folded in her lap. "I think perhaps that was the first moment I really fell in love with her. Because she exemplified something that us mere mortals could never hope to achieve."

Rebecca also began to laugh softly, glancing briefly at her before looking back down at the floor. "She gets that from her father. From me, she mostly gets an example for how not to behave." The woman paused for a moment, then seemed to decide it was time to switch topics, rather jarringly. "Have the two of you talked much about the future? I-If not, that's fine... I'd just like to know..."

If Kate's mother was still insisting on being horrible, Victoria might have lied. But she seemed legitimately interested in hearing more. "A little bit. After the recent court case victory, our friend Max rather awkwardly brought up the subject with her girlfriend, and that planted a bug in our ears as well." Best to remain as close to the truth as possible. "If we did, it wouldn't be until after we graduate. We have our whole lives, there's no rush..."

Suddenly closing the gap between them, Rebecca hauled Victoria up to her feet and into a tight hug. "Ohhhh my baby girl has been growing up and I completely ignored it!"

"You're trying now, which is more than I can say for my own parents..."

She pulled back and looked into Victoria's face with eyebrows furrowed. "That simply won't do. Victoria, I... I want you to know that you're a part of this family now. I've got a lot of work to do, to make up for my previous awfulness. It's the least I can do, if you need a home for Christmas or anything."

Kate appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, now hugging the both of them even tighter. "Sorry, um. I was. Kinda listening in. I love you both. So much."


End file.
